Officials push for more precise laws on threats made to schools

Earlier this year, a man made online threats toward Brigham Young University-Idaho. Now the Rexburg Police Department and Madison County Prosecutor’s Office are looking for legislation to be more precise when it comes to violent online threats made to any schools.

Right now, there is a statute that does make these threats a felony, but it only applies to primary schools; not colleges and universities. Rexburg police and the Madison County prosecutor want colleges to be covered by the law.

The man who made the threats to BYU Idaho was charged with disturbing the peace, which is a misdemeanor. Prosecutors say the possibility of being charged with a felony is more preventative.

“Disturbing the peace is kind of the catch all misdemeanor for someone does something wrong and you want to plead it down because like this case he didn’t intend he just wasn’t thinking very intelligently and disturbing the peace is kind of the catch all, but because it’s the catch all its also not there’s not a lot of deterring a force behind the statute,” said deputy prosecutor Rob Wood.

Joshua David, the man who made the threats, pleaded guilty. He is expected to be sentenced in January.